ASTRONOMY CLUB OF TULSA

ACT, Inc. has been meeting continuously
since 1937 and was incorporated in 1986. It is a nonprofit; tax
deductible organization dedicated to promoting, to the public, the art
of viewing and the scientific aspect of astronomy.

What

The Astronomy Club of Tulsa Club

When

Friday, 12 September, 2003 at
7:30 PM

Where

Room M1 inside Keplinger Hall, the
Science & Engineering Building at TU. Enter the parking lot on the
East Side of Keplinger Hall from Harvard and 5th Street. This will take
you directly toward the staircase to enter the building. Room M1 is the
first room on the left.

President’s Message

Denny Mishler

Our September
meeting features Dr. Derek Sears, Professor of Chemistry at the
University of Arkansas. Dr. Sears is also the Director of the Arkansas -
Oklahoma Center for Space and Planetary Sciences, an organization that has
provided our club with excellent speakers at our meetings over the past
several years. Dr. Sears researches in "Cosmochemistry" which
includes the studies of extraterrestrial materials, asteroid and comet
surface processes, history of meteorites, etc. In recent years the planet
Mars has drawn increasing interest from Scientists. High-resolution images
of its surface have suggested that water may be flowing at the present time.
This changes completely our perceptions of the life forms on the planet. At
the large planetary environmental chamber located at the University of
Arkansas, Dr. Sears and his colleagues are conducting experiments to help us
better understand the behavior of water on Mars. This is the first large
scale attempt to experimentally address some fundamental questions that
could completely alter our views about water on Mars and its prospects for
life.

We will have a pre
meeting dinner at 5:45 PM with Dr. Sears and his wife Hazel at the Western
Sizzlin restaurant located at 21st Street just east of Sheridan (on the
south side of 21st). We have a separate room reserved for our group. On
Friday night's Western Sizzlin has their special seafood buffet available
for $12.99, or you may choose the regular buffet with everything but seafood
for $6.99. You may also order meals from the overhead menu. Whatever you
choose, you must mention to the cashier that you are with the Astronomy
Group. A $15% gratuity will be added to your check. The reserved dining room
is roomy and comfortable and will make an ideal location to socialize with
members and our guest speaker. Dr. Sears is one of the World's top experts
on meteorites and this would be an opportunity to get information in that
area of his research also. At the conclusion of our meeting we will have
some refreshments and if it is a clear evening we should be able to view
Mars with telescopes provided by several members.

MARS WATCH 2003
DRAWS THOUSANDS

By some counts and
estimates more than 5000 members of the public attended our Mars Watch 2003
Event held in conjunction with Oxley Nature Center and The Planetary Society
at Mohawk Park on September 5th and 6th. At times lines of 50 people and
more were lined up at the 30 telescopes members provided. Tony White's TMB
refractor had a line that extended 100 yards or more at peak attendance on
Friday night. Members of the public were very cooperative, patient and
appreciative of our efforts to show them Mars, the moon and other celestial
wonders. Time and again I heard people say what a well-organized event we
were holding. Our organizers; club members David Stine and John Land and
Oxley Nature Center's Donna Horton prepared a well thought out plan that was
carried out by an organizing committee that included Teresa Kincannon, Steve
Chapman, Vince Moore, Gerry Andries, Tom McDonough, Hugh Selman, Richie
Shroff and Tony White.

Thanks go to John
and Cherrie Windler who brought hot chocolate and cookies around to members
on Saturday night and also to Vince Moore for organizing his Boy Scout Troop
66 and several other troops that provided traffic control and information as
visitors arrived. And thanks also to all the members that attended, brought
telescopes and gave the public an enthusiastic introduction to our hobby.

Clear skies,
Denny Mishler

Astroland Tidbits - by John Land

2004 Royal
Canadian Observers Handbooks -
Prepaid $15.00 Each by Nov 7 We are taking prepaid orders for $15.00 between
now and our Nov 7 meeting. To get this great rate we must receive 10 or more
orders otherwise the price will be $16.50 each. The individual price is $26
plus shipping. The Canadian Observer's handbook has been the recognized
source of astronomical events and tables since 1911. You find easy to read
monthly charts detailing events for 2004 plus many pages for observing
planets, comets and asteroids. For details see www.rasc.ca

2004 Astronomy
Calendars - Prepaid $7.00
each no later than Oct 10 ! We will be placing an order for the 2004
Astronomical Calendars from Astronomy magazine in October in order for you
to get them here for Christmas gifts. If we order 15 or more we can get
substantial discounts. The price this year is only $7.00 per calendar
compared to $12.00 plus shipping if you order individually. However you must
pay in advance no later than the Oct 10 meeting. Astronomy cautions us that
many clubs are using these for fundraisers and they may sell out early.

Address corrections:
Every month we get several newsletters returned due to faulty addresses.
Check your address label to see if it needs changes and send us an address
change if you move. Also on your address label you will see the month that
your membership dues expire.

Email Addresses -
Sign UP to get the latest Astro Alerts from David Stine and other events
that take place during the month. If you have not been receiving these we do
not have a valid email address for you. If you would like to added to our
email list send us your NAME - and Email address with subject - Astronomy
Club email list to membership@astrotulsa.com

Magazine
Subscriptions: You can get
substantial discounts for Sky & Telescope and Astronomy magazine by
ordering thorough the Astronomy Club. If your magazines are coming up for
renewal, try to save the mailing label or renewal form you get in the mail.
Do NOT mail renewals back to the magazine! To get the club discount you must
go through the club group rate.

Club Memberships
and Renewals:If you see errors or make any changes in your address or
E-mail please keep us informed. Contact John Land, membership@astrotulsa.com,
or by mail to the address below. You may make Renewals and changes at any
club meeting or mail a check to

Astronomy Club of
Tulsa
25209 E 62nd St
Broken Arrow, OK 74014

Note: Sending your
check to the club mailbox may delay processing several weeks.

Club memberships
are $25 per year for adults and $15 per year for students. A membership form
is available at our website http://astrotulsa.com/Club/membership.htm
or you may pick one up at any of our club events.

RENEWALS:

DON'T FORGET TO RENEW

Club Memberships

Astronomy Club of Tulsa Membership
Application / Renewal Form

Name: ________________________ Phone: ( )
____ _______

Address:
___________________________________________________

City / State /
Zip____________________/____________/_____________

________________________________________________________

E-mail address - print clearly

Check Lines below for YES

____ I would prefer to receive E-mail
notification when club newsletter is posted to the web.

____ I choose to receive my newsletter by
E-mail ONLY instead of postal mail. (Usually 3 or 4 days earlier *
Must have web access )

____ Notify me by E-mail of late breaking
Astronomy Events

Please check all that apply:

___ New Membership ($25) ___ Student
Membership ($15)

___ Membership Renewal ($25) ___ Student
Member Renewal ($15)

___ Sky & Telescope Subscription ($33) /
year

also includes 10% discount on most Sky &
Tel products

___ Astronomy Subscription ($29) / year ($55)
/ two years

* Magazine rates may change / prices
available with membership only.

Please bring this application along with a
check for the total amount made out to the Astronomy Club of Tulsa to the
next meeting or mail the payment and application to: